HealthDay (8/22, Thompson) reported a study found that “local parks and neighborhood greenery protected people’s mental health from the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Researchers noted that “depression increased nearly two-fold during the pandemic, with both men and women more frequently diagnosed,” but observed that “middle-aged adults and seniors had a reduced risk of depression if they lived in greener neighborhoods.” Furthermore, they found that “the greener a person’s neighborhood, the lower their risk for depression.” Researchers concluded, “Our findings suggest that green spaces may have played a modest, yet meaningful, role in supporting the mental well-being of lower-income Canadians during the pandemic, offering some relief amid deepening socio-economic inequities.” The study was published in PLOS One.

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— “Green Spaces Provided Pandemic Protection Against Depression, Study Says,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, August 22, 2025

Healio (8/22, Laboy) reported a study found that “suicide and overdose rates notably increased at the onset of the 2023 Maui wildfires in Hawaii.” The researchers “analyzed suicide or overdose-related deaths in five Hawaii counties, including Maui, from January 2014 to December 2023.”

They found that “August 2023 was independently associated with a 97% increase in suicide and overdose rates in Maui alone and a 46% increase in both rates across counties. When suicide and overdose were analyzed separately, only the suicide rates were significantly higher in Maui compared to the other counties.”

According to Healio, “the findings indicate an immediate correlation between behavioral health outcomes and wildfires, suggesting a need for tailored interventions and protocols in the wake of natural disasters, the researchers wrote.” The study was published in JAMA.

Related Links:

— “Suicide, overdose rates increased in immediate wake of Maui wildfires,” Lucas Laboy, Healio, August22 , 2025

MedPage Today (8/21, Henderson) reports a survey study from two academic medical centers suggested that “passive documentation of clinic visits using artificial intelligence (AI)-drafted notes was linked to reduced burnout and improved well-being.” According to the survey, clinicians at Mass General Brigham Hospital in Boston who used the “system, dubbed ambient documentation technology (ADT), had a 21.2% absolute reduction in burnout.”

Likewise, clinicians at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta “showed a 30.7% absolute increase in documentation-related well-being, albeit with low survey response rates at both centers.” Researchers noted that “free-text survey responses included some users saying that ADT improved their clinic experience and subjective patient experience.” They concluded, “Documentation burden has been associated with clinician burnout, which is why there has been much interest in using technology solutions.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (8/21) reports a study found that “rates of civil commitment vary widely across the country, with nine states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) reporting significant increases from 2010 to 2022,” and no states showing “a significant decrease.” Researchers were able to obtain “data on civil commitment rates between 2010 and 2022 for 32 states and D.C.” They observed that across these states, “there were an average of 213.84 involuntary civil commitments per 100,000 population. Rates ranged from 13.50 per 100,000 population in Tennessee to 875.98 per 100,000 in Florida.” Rates reported by state mental health authorities (SMHAs) “were significantly higher than rates obtained from state court data.” The researchers “said that the findings underscore the need for consistent and transparent reporting standards.” The study was published in Psychiatric Services.

Related Links:

— “Involuntary Inpatient Civil Commitment: Trends From 2010 to 2022,” Mustafa Karakus, Ph.D., Victoria Nelson, Ph.D., Emma Scott, B.A., Sushmita Shoma Ghose, Ph.D., Tina Marshall, Ph.D., John Cosgrove, Ph.D., N. Phil Masiakowski, B.A., and David Cohen, Ph.D., Psychiatric Services, August 21, 2025

Healio (8/19, Herpen) reports a study found that “use of gabapentin among adults with chronic low back pain was significantly associated with increased risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment.” Researchers observed that participants in “all age groups who were given six or more gabapentin prescriptions logged an increased incidence of dementia and MCI. When stratified by age, adults aged 18 to 64 years who were prescribed gabapentin had more than twice the risk of dementia and MCI compared with those who were not prescribed gabapentin.” The research team “further reported this risk increased with more frequent gabapentin prescriptions, as those in all age groups with 12 or more prescriptions had a higher incidence of dementia and MCI vs. those only prescribed the drug three to 11 times.” The study was published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Gabapentin linked to higher risk of dementia, cognitive issues in adults with chronic pain,” Robert Herpen, MA, Healio, August 19, 2025